[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5820-S5821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6314. Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. Romney, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Durbin, Mr. King, Mr. Cardin, 
Mr. Portman, and Mr. Coons) submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and 
Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of title XII, add the following:

                     Subtitle G--Black Sea Security

     SEC. 1281. SHORT TITLE.

       This subtitle may be cited as the ``Black Sea Security Act 
     of 2022''.

     SEC. 1282. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON BLACK SEA SECURITY.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) it is in the interest of the United States to prevent 
     the spread of further armed conflict in Europe by recognizing 
     the Black Sea region as an arena of Russian aggression;
       (2) littoral states of the Black Sea are critical in 
     countering aggression by the Government of the Russian 
     Federation and contributing to the collective security of 
     NATO;
       (3) the repeated, illegal, unprovoked, and violent attempts 
     of the Russian Federation to expand its territory and control 
     access to the Mediterranean through the Black Sea constitutes 
     a threat to the national security of the United States and 
     NATO;
       (4) the United States condemns attempts by the Russian 
     Federation to change or alter boundaries in the Black Sea 
     region by force or any means contrary to international law 
     and to impose a sphere of influence across the region;
       (5) the United States and its allies should robustly 
     counter Russia's purported territorial claims on the Crimean 
     Peninsula, along Ukraine's territorial waters in the Black 
     Sea and the Sea of Azov, in the Black Sea's international 
     waters, and in the territories it is illegally occupying in 
     Ukraine;
       (6) the United States should continue to work within NATO 
     and with NATO Allies to develop a long-term strategy to 
     enhance security, establish a permanent, sustainable presence 
     in the eastern flank, and bolster the democratic resilience 
     of its allies and partners in the region;
       (7) the United States should also work with the European 
     Union in coordinating a strategy to support democratic 
     initiatives and economic prosperity in the region, which 
     includes two European Union members and four European Union 
     aspirant nations;
       (8) the United States should explore efforts to rebuild 
     trust and bilateral relations with Turkey, a key NATO Ally in 
     the Black Sea region and a bulwark against Iran;
       (9) it is in the interest of the United States that NATO 
     adopt a robust strategy toward the Black Sea, including by 
     working with interested partner countries in the region to 
     advance common security objectives;
       (10) the United States should work to foster dialogue among 
     countries within the Black Sea region to improve 
     communication and intelligence sharing and increase cyber 
     defense capabilities;
       (11) countries with historic and economic ties to Russia 
     are looking to the United States and Europe to provide a 
     positive economic presence in the broader region as a 
     counterbalance to the Russian Federation's malign influence 
     in the region;
       (12) it is in the interest of the United States to support 
     and bolster the economic ties between the United States and 
     Black Sea partners;
       (13) the United States should support the initiative 
     undertaken by central and eastern European states to advance 
     the Three Seas Initiative Fund to strengthen transport, 
     energy, and digital infrastructure connectivity in the region 
     between the Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea, and Black Sea;
       (14) there are mutually beneficial opportunities for 
     increased investment and economic expansion, particularly on 
     energy, climate, and transport infrastructure initiatives, 
     between the United States and Black Sea states and the 
     broader region;
       (15) improved economic ties between the United States and 
     the Black Sea states and the broader region can lead to a 
     strengthened strategic partnership;
       (16) the United States must seek to address the food 
     security challenges arising from closure of Ukraine's Black 
     Sea ports, as this global challenge will have critical 
     national security implications for the United States, our 
     partners, and allies;
       (17) Russia has a brutal history of using hunger as a 
     weapon and must be stopped; and
       (18) countering the PRC's coercive economic pursuits 
     remains an important policy imperative in order to further 
     integrate the Black Sea countries into western economies and 
     improve regional stability.

     SEC. 1283. UNITED STATES POLICY.

       It is the policy of the United States to--
       (1) actively deter the threat of Russia's further 
     escalation in the Black Sea region

[[Page S5821]]

     and defend freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to prevent 
     the spread of further armed conflict in Europe;
       (2) advocate within NATO, among NATO Allies, and within the 
     European Union to develop a long-term coordinated strategy to 
     enhance security, establish a permanent, sustainable presence 
     in the eastern flank, and bolster the democratic resilience 
     of United States allies and partners in the region;
       (3) support and bolster the economic ties between the 
     United States and Black Sea partners and mobilize the 
     Department of State and other relevant Federal departments 
     and agencies by enhancing the United States presence and 
     investment in Black Sea countries;
       (4) provide economic alternatives to the PRC's coercive 
     economic options that destabilize and further erode economic 
     integration of the Black Sea littoral states;
       (5) ensure that the United States continues to support 
     Black Sea countries to strengthen their democratic 
     institutions to prevent corruption and accelerate their 
     advancement into the Euroatlantic community; and
       (6) encourage the initiative undertaken by central and 
     eastern European states to advance the Three Seas Initiative 
     to strengthen transport, energy, and digital infrastructure 
     connectivity in the region between the Adriatic Sea, Baltic 
     Sea, and Black Sea.

     SEC. 1284. BLACK SEA SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.

       (a) Black Sea Development and Security Strategy.--Not later 
     than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
     the National Security Council, in coordination with the 
     Department of State and other relevant Federal departments 
     and agencies, is authorized to direct an interagency strategy 
     to increase military assistance and coordination with NATO 
     and the European Union, deepen economic ties, strengthen 
     economic and energy security and enhance security assistance 
     with Black Sea countries, and support efforts to bolster 
     their democratic resilience.
       (b) Purpose and Objectives.--The initiative established 
     under subsection (a) shall have the following goals and 
     objectives:
       (1) Ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of 
     security assistance to Black Sea states, prioritizing 
     assistance that will bolster defenses against hybrid warfare 
     and improve interoperability with NATO forces.
       (2) Bolstering United States support for the region's 
     energy security and integration with Europe and reducing 
     their dependence on Russia while supporting energy 
     diversification.
       (3) Mitigating the impact of economic coercion by the 
     Russian Federation and the PRC on Black Sea states and 
     identifying new opportunities for foreign direct investment 
     from the United States and cooperating countries and the 
     enhancement of United States business ties.
       (4) Increasing high-level engagement between the United 
     States and the Black Sea states, and reinforcing economic 
     growth, financing quality infrastructure, and reinforcing 
     trade with a focus on improving high-level economic 
     cooperation.
       (5) Increasing United States coordination with the European 
     Union and NATO to maximize effectiveness and minimize 
     duplication.
       (c) Activities.--
       (1) Security.--The strategy established under subsection 
     (a) shall include the following elements related to security:
       (A) A plan to increase interagency coordination on the 
     Black Sea region.
       (B) A strategy for--
       (i) the United States to increase NATO's presence and 
     capabilities in the Black Sea region, including land, sea, 
     and air forces; or
       (ii) a United States-led initiative with NATO member states 
     to increase coordination, presence, and regional engagement 
     among Black Sea countries.
       (C) A strategy to increase military assistance toward Black 
     Sea countries, particularly Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, 
     Moldova, and Georgia.
       (D) Prioritization of intelligence, surveillance, and 
     reconnaissance systems to monitor Russia's operations in the 
     Black Sea region, as well as upgrading from air policing to 
     air defense missions.
       (E) An assessment of the value of establishing a joint, 
     multinational three-star headquarters on the Black Sea, 
     responsible for planning, readiness, exercises, and 
     coordination of all Allied and partner military activity in 
     the greater Black Sea region.
       (F) An overview of Foreign Military Financing, 
     International Military Education and Training, and other 
     United States security assistance to the region.
       (G) A plan for communicating the changes to NATO posture to 
     the public in allied and partner countries, as well as in the 
     Russian Federation and Belarus.
       (H) A plan for combating Russian disinformation and 
     propaganda in the Black Sea region, utilizing the resources 
     of the United States Government, including the Global 
     Engagement Center.
       (I) A plan to promote greater freedom of navigation, 
     working primarily with Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria 
     to allow for greater security and economic Black Sea access.
       (2) Economic prosperity.--The strategy established under 
     subsection (a) shall include the following elements related 
     to economic prosperity:
       (A) A strategy to foster dialogue between experts from the 
     United States and from the Black Sea states on economic 
     expansion, foreign direct investment, strengthening rule of 
     law initiatives, and mitigating economic coercion by Russia 
     and the PRC.
       (B) A strategy for all the relevant Federal departments and 
     agencies that contribute to United States economic statecraft 
     to expand their presence and identify new opportunities for 
     private investment in Black Sea states.
       (C) Assessments on energy diversification, focusing on the 
     immediate need to replace energy supplies from Russia, and 
     recognize the long-term importance of broader energy 
     diversification, including clean energy initiatives.
       (D) Assessments of potential food security solutions.
       (3) Democratic resilience.--The strategy established under 
     subsection (a) shall include the following elements related 
     to democratic resilience:
       (A) A strategy to increase independent media and United 
     States-supported media initiatives to combat foreign malign 
     influence in the Black Sea region.
       (B) Greater mobilization of initiatives spearheaded by the 
     Global Engagement Center and the United States Agency for 
     International Development to counter Russian propaganda and 
     disinformation in the Black Sea region.
       (4) Regional connectivity.--The strategy established under 
     subsection (a) shall promote regional connectivity by sending 
     high-level representatives of the Department of State or 
     other agency partners to--
       (A) the Black Sea region not less frequently than twice a 
     year; and
       (B) major regional fora on infrastructure and energy 
     security, including the Three Seas Initiative Summit.
       (d) Identification of Necessary Programs and Resources.--No 
     later than 360 days after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act, the interagency shall identify any necessary program, 
     policy, or budgetary resources required, by agency, to 
     support implementation of the Black Sea Security Strategy for 
     fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026.
       (e) Responsibilities of Federal Departments and Agencies.--
     Nothing under this section shall be deemed to authorize the 
     National Security Council to assume any of the 
     responsibilities or authorities of the head of any Federal 
     department, agency, or office, including the foreign affairs 
     responsibilities and authorities of the Secretary of State, 
     to oversee the implementation of programs and policies under 
     this section.

     SEC. 1285. DEFINITIONS.

       In this subtitle:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
     Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
     Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
     Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
     House of Representatives.
       (2) Black sea states.--The term ``Black Sea states'' means 
     Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia.
       (3) Three seas initiative investment fund countries.-- The 
     term ``Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund countries'' 
     means Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, 
     Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Romania, and 
     Bulgaria.
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